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Microsoft Launches New Peripherals Designed For Windows 8 Tablets

By James Lu - 2 Aug 2012

Microsoft Launches New Peripherals Designed For Windows 8 Tablets

Microsoft Launches New Peripherals Designed For Windows 8 Tablets

Following leaked images earlier this week of new Microsoft input devices designed specifically for tablets running Windows 8, Microsoft Singapore today confirmed and announced the upcoming launch of those products and gave us a closer look at them.

Microsoft's new Wedge Mobile Keyboard and Wedge Touch Mouse

 

Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse

The Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse, with its distinctive doorstop shape will launch in August for $89. As expected, it is a touch device, but unlike Microsoft's existing Touch Mouse, it does not appear to support multi-touch functionality (which means no gesture control e.g. pinch-and-zoom), being limited instead to four-way scrolling.

The Wedge Touch Mouse will be available at the end of August for $89.

It connects via Bluetooth 3.0 and is powered by a single AA battery, which Microsoft estimates at providing 10 months of battery life. To save power, the mouse automatically powers down when the computer it's paired to also goes to sleep.

 

Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard

The Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard is a slim Bluetooth 3.0 keyboard with an angled base (which doubles up as the battery compartment) designed for portability for use with a tablet. It includes Windows Hot Keys (Windows 8 friendly) as well as media keys for music and video control. It will be available at the end of August for $99.

The Wedge Mobile Keyboard features a full-sized keyset but remains relatively small. This is the Chinese version, the Singapore version will not include the chinese characters. It will be available at the end of August for $99.

The keyboard requires two AAA batteries. The battery compartment on its base doubles up as a stand for the keyboard.

It also comes with a rubber-topped cover that can be bent into a right-angle to function as a stand for your tablet.

The cover has a rubber finish so that you can carry it with your tablet without fear of damaging the screen.

The cover can be bent into a right-angle to double up as a stand for your tablet.

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